Folding table with spring latch toggle mechanism



Sept. 14, 1954 J MAHR 2,689,158

I FOLDING TABLE WITH SPRING LATCH TOGGLE MECHANISM Filed Feb. 5, 1951 3Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. JULIUS A. MAHR ATTORNEY Sept. 14, 1954 J. A.MAHR 2,689,158

FOLDING TABLE WITH SPRING LATCH TOGGLE MECHANISM Filed Feb. 5, 1951 3Sheets-Sheet 2 W FIG 3 29-" all 28/ a4 fty FIG 4 R. Juuus A. MAHP.

ATTORNEY J. A. MAHR Sept. 14, 195.4

FOLDING TABLE WITH SPRING LATCH TOGGLE MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FiledFeb. 5, 1951 INVENTOR. JULIUS A. MAHR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 14, 1954FOLDING TABLE WITH SPRING LATCH TOGGLE MECHANISM Julius A. Mahr,Minneapolis, Minn., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to

Paul, Minn.

Harold R. Nielsen, St.

Application February 5, 1951, Serial N o. 209,416

2- Claims. '1

My present invention relates to improvements in tables and, moreparticularly, to a table hav-- ing folding legs.

Another object of the invention is to provide. a table having foldinglegs, toggle braces for holding the legs in operative positions, andnovel automatic latches for locking the toggle braces straight when thelegs are in operative positions or buckled when the legs are folded.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the provision of anovel" toggle brace for holding table legs in proper angular relation toa table top. The brace includes two toggle members each comprising apair of arms, the arms of one pair overlapping and lying outwardly ofthe arms of the other pair; Crosstie bars are secured to the arms ofeach pair in such a manner that the bars are in side by side relationwhen the legs are in proper angular relation to the top; Novel latchmeans is provided for locking thebars in this side by side relation toprevent collapse of the table.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription, reference being hadto-the drawings;

To the above end, the invention consists of the novel devices andcombination of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings; which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicatelike parts throughout the-several views;

Referring tothe drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective View of the improved table;

Fig. 2 is a bottom planview' of the tableshown in Fig. 1, except thatthe legs atone end of the table are folded;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of the toggle braces, latch and.associated parts, as shown at the right-hand end of the table in Fig.1', on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view-of the toggle braces, latch andassociated? parts, as shown at the left-hand end of the table in Fig.1', on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View showing the table top structure and thecrosstie member connecting the legs, at the right-hand end of thetable,in longitudinal verticalsection; and alsoshowing in side elevation thetoggle braces: with. the. leg upright and the latch holding; the;toggle: braces from buckling, onthe same. scale; as;Fig..3';

Fig. 6 is a View corresponding to Fig- 5, except that the toggle bracesand: the legs are folded and the latch holding the toggle bracesbuckled;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail view partlyin side elevation and partlyin longitudinal vertical section taken. on the line ll-"l of Fig. 3;with the toggle braces buckled;

Fig. 8 is a detail View partly in elevation and partly in section takenon the line of Fig. 7.

The folding table shown is long, rectangular and commercially known as abanquet table. Such tables are. generally used in groups of variousformation such as in endwise alignment, L or U--shape.

The table top. assembly is an elongated rectangular structure thatincludes an upper frame H and a sub-frame 12'. The upper frame H isformed of angle bars with one: of their flanges turned inwardly andvtheir other flanges turned upwardly. The sub-frame i2 is formed ofchannel bars having wide webs that are vertically disposed. The flangesof the sub-frame angle bars are turned inwardly and the lower flanges ofthese channel bars are considerably narrower than the upperflanges'thereof. l3he upper-frame i i rests on the upper flanges of thesub-frame l2 and is rigidly secured thereto, see Fig. 9. It will benoted that the faces of the upturned flange of the upper frame H, at theends. of the table, are flush: with the faces of the underlying webs ofthe channel bars of'thesub-frame i2, SeeFig. 9. On the. sides of thetable, the upper frame 1 l is slightly inset from the sides: of thesub-frame l2, see Fig. l. The sub-frame l2 affords an apron for thetable.

A skeleton wood frame 13 rests-on the inturned flanges of upper frame Hand; is securedthereto. This frame. i3 comprises end members It, sidemembers it, a central longitudinal. member it and. a pairof outertransverse members H, a central transverse member [Banda pair ofintermediate transverse members IB; A table top member 20 is closelyfitted. Within-the upturned flanges of theupper frame H and rests on theWood frame [3: to which it is secured with its top flush. with the upperedges. of said. upturned flanges of the angle frame H.

An inverted channel bar 2|v issecured to the under side ofeaohtransverse member H and i9 with its end; portions underlapping. the.longitudinalupper flanges. of. the sub-frame=3 l2: and

welded thereto. At each end portion of the table is a pair of legs 22rigidly connected by an intermediate crosstie member 23. The legs 22, attheir upper ends, are pivoted to depending ears 24 on the under sides ofa corresponding channel bar 2| beneath one of frame crosstie bars IT.This pivotal mounting permits inward folding move ment of the legs 22within the sub-frame |2.

Each pair of legs 22 is held in an upright or operative position by apair of laterally spaced toggle braces 25. Two spaced arms 28 forming apart of the toggle braces 25 are pivoted at their outer ends to ears 2'!on each leg crosstie member 23 and a second pair of spaced arms 28forming a part of said toggle braces are pivoted at their outer ends todepending ears 29 on the under side of the channel bars 2| underlyingthe frame crosstie members [9, see Fig. 5. It will be noted that thetoggle brace arms 23 extend between the toggle brace arms 26 and arepivoted to said arms 23 at points spaced inwardly of their inner ends,see Figs. 3, 4 and 8. A fiat crosstie bar 30 extends transversely overthe toggle brace arms 23 of each pair, at their extreme inner endportions, and the end portions of each crosstie bar 30 are bentdownwardly on the outer surfaces of said arms 26 and secured thereto. Acrosstie bar 3 similar to the crosstie bar 38, extends transverselybetween the arms 28, outwardly of their inner ends, with the endportions of these bars 31 bent downwardly and secured to the innersurfaces of said arms on their inner sides. When the toggle braces 25are aligned, the crosstie bars 30-3! are in close edgewise positions,see Fig. 3.

The crosstie bar 35, by its engagement with the upper longitudinal edgeof the toggle brace arms 23, when the legs 22 are in upright positions,holds the arms 26-28 of said toggle braces aligned and prevents downwardbuckling thereof. To fold the legs 22, the toggle braces l are upwardlybuckled to release said legs. During inwardly folding movement of thelegs 22, the toggle arms 26 fold within the toggle joint arms 28. Whenthe legs 22 and toggle brace 25 are completely folded, their relativearrangement is shown in Fig. 8 and it will be noted that the legs andbraces are confined entirely within the sub-frame l2.

A novel automatic latch 32 is provided for holding each pair of togglebraces 25 aligned with their arms 26-28 aligned when the legs 22 are inI operative positions, to prevent upward buckling. This latch 32 alsoholds the toggle braces 25 completely buckled and the legs 22 foldedparallel to the table top assembly. Each automatic latch 32 is in theform of a plate that lies on the crosstie bar 3| and is pivoted thereto,as indicated at 33. On the rear edge of the latch is a downturned flange34 and integral with this flange is a lip 35. This lip 35 underlaps thecrosstie bar 3|, at the outer end portion of the latch 32, and holdssaid latch against movement away from the crosstie bar 3 Integral withthe rear end of the flange 3a is a hand-piece 36 for use in manuallyoperating the latch 32 for releasing the same. A coiled spring 3'! iscompressed between one of the toggle brace arms 23 and the hand-piece 36and yieldingly holds the latch 32 projected outwardly of the crosstiebar 3|, see Figs. 3, 4 and 8.

During movement of each pair of legs 22 from folded positions to uprightpositions and the straightening of the toggle braces 25, the latch 32engages a cam lug 38 on the under side of the crosstie bar 30 and isretracted thereby against the tension of the spring 31. At the time thetoggle brace arms are brought into alignment,

the latch 32 has been moved out of engagement with the cam lug 38 andthe outer edge of the crosstie bar and projected by the spring 31 oversaid bar and thereby holds the toggle brace arms 28-28 aligned and frombuckling upwardly, see Figs. 3 and 5. As heretofore stated, theengagement of the crosstie bar 30 with the underlying toggle brace arms28 prevents downward buckling of the toggle braces 25.

Cooperating with the latch 32 to hold the toggle braces 25 buckled andthe legs 22 folded within the sub-frame |2 is a downwardly and inwardlyinclined latch lug 39 on the outer end of a bar 40. This bar 40 extendslongitudinally of the frame bar I! on the underside thereof and isrigidly secured thereto. At its inner end, the bar 40 abuts the channelbar 2| and is welded thereto. During the final folding of the legs 22and buckling of the toggle braces 25, the latch 32 engages the latch lug39, is retracted thereby, against the tension of the spring 31, and inpassing out of engagement therewith is projected by said spring oversaid latch lug and interlocked therewith, see Figs. 4 and 3.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principlesof construction and operation of my folding table with spring latchtoggle mechanism and while I have endeavored to set forth the bestembodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changesmay be made within the scope of the following claims without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

l. A table top structure having at one end a leg pivoted thereto forfolding movement thereunder, an inclined toggle brace for holding theleg upright, an inner pair of laterally spaced arms and an outer pair ofarms overlapping the former, said inner arms being pivoted at theirouter ends to said structure and pivoted at their inner ends to theoverlapped outer arms inwardly of their inner ends, said outer armsbeing pivoted at their outer ends to the leg at its intermediate'portion, a crosstie bar fixed at its end portions on the inner endportions of the outer pair of arms, overlapping and engaging the arms ofthe inner pair as a stop that aligns the pairs of arms, a secondcrosstie bar fixed at its end portions to inner pairs of arms outwardlyof their inner ends, said crosstie bars, when the pair of arms arealigned, being parallel in close edgewise positions and in the sameplane, an automatic latch for releasably holding the pairs of armsaligned when the leg is upright, said latch being a fiat member pivotedat one end portion on the upper side of the last-noted crosstie bar forswinging movement transversely thereof, said latch having on its outeredge an integral flange that overlaps the outer edge of the last-notedbar and acts as a stop that limits the projection of the latch, saidflange having on its lower edge an integral lip that underlaps thelast-noted crosstie bar and holds the latch from tilting on its pivot, ahandpiece integral with the flange and substantially perpendicularthereto, and a spring compressed between the handpiece and one of thearms of the inner pair and yieldingly holding the latch projected andoverlapping the first noted crosstie member when the pairs of arms arealigned, a cam fixed to the last-noted crosstie bar with which the latchengages during the straightening of the pairs of arms and beingretracted thereby to pass the first-noted crosstie bar.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, further in- 5 eluding a. second camfixed to the table top structure and with which the latch engages,during the buckling of the toggle joint and the folding of the leg, toretract said latch and then release the same to be projected by thespring over the cam and supported thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberNumber 6 Name Date OConnor Mar, 29, 1932 De Saussure Oct. 17, 1933Wagoner Feb. 18, 1936 Casper Feb. 25, 1936 Blink Sept. 23, 1941Johannsen May 11, 1943 De Saussure Mar. 7, 1944 Duke May 1, 1945 ButlerJuly 2, 1946

